College and IB

“Preparing today's students for success and eventual leadership in the global economy is the single most important task facing U.S. education. If young Americans are to take on challenging global leadership roles in the future, they must possess a deep understanding and appreciation for other cultures, geography, history, and languages." – Stephanie Bell-Rose, former President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation

IB MISSION STATEMENT The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. © International Baccalaureate Organization

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepares students, aged 16 to 19, for success at university and life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students. The programme, has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities. © International Baccalaureate Organization

In addition to study in six subject areas, the IB Diploma Programme includes an extended essay of 4,000 words; experiential learning through creativity, action, service (CAS); and theory of knowledge (TOK). US colleges and universities value the core components of the Diploma Programme and may award additional elective credit.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2010

What classes do DP students take? 11th Grade

IB English SL

IB US History SL

IB Math Studies or

Mathematics SL

IB Biology or Chemistry SL

IB Foreign Language SL

Arabic

Chinese

French

Spanish

Some take an IB art class

Theory of Knowledge, sem 2

12th Grade

IB English HL

IB History of the Americas HL

IB Math Studies or Mathematics SL

IB Biology or Chemistry HL

IB Foreign Language HL

Arabic

Chinese

French

Spanish

Some take an IB art class

Theory of Knowledge, sem 1

IB Geography, IB Dance,

IB Film, and IB Business and Management

Additional requirements:

Extended Essay, maximum of 4000 words, independent work

Theory of Knowledge paper and presentation, require independent thought

Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS), 150 hours, completed independently

The extended essay asks students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the DP subjects they are studying. The world studies extended essay option allows students to focus on a topic of global significance which they examine through the lens of at least two DP subjects. © International Baccalaureate Organization

Theory of knowledge develops a coherent approach to learning that unifies the academic disciplines. In this course on critical thinking, students inquire into the nature of knowing and deepen their understanding of knowledge as a human construction. © International Baccalaureate Organization

© International Baccalaureate Organization

Creativity, action, service (CAS) involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout the Diploma Programme. Creativity encourages students to engage in the arts and creative thinking. Action seeks to develop a healthy lifestyle through physical activity. Service with the community offers a vehicle for a new learning with academic value. The three strands of CAS enhance students’ personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning and enable journeys of self-discovery.

It’s not a magnet program!

IB DP is for everyone.

It is not who you are, but what you do.

Even when it was a magnet program, the DP student makeup was never more than 30% gifted students.

It’s not for the gifted; it’s for the “go-getters”

It is not for magnet students; it’s for motivated students.

Dr. Kedra Ishop, vice provost and director of admissions, University of Texas at Austin, USA “We’re looking for students who are engagers-- students who are maximizing opportunities in and out of the classroom. What’s very unique about IB is that through its curriculum it allows students to be able to satisfy the requirements of the types of students that we’re looking for.” © International Baccalaureate Organization 2010

Advanced standing Many US colleges and universities recognize that students who have obtained an IB diploma and performed well on the IB assessments have demonstrated a mastery of first-year curriculum. To avoid having students repeating course content, many institutions grant advanced standing.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2010

The College of William and Mary says: William and Mary recognizes the International Baccalaureate program as extremely rigorous; the best possible preparation for both college work and life in the twenty-first century. In addition, we feel that the hallmarks of the IB experience - an international perspective, an interdisciplinary approach to learning, a commitment to service, and an emphasis on critical reading and analytical writing - are also the hallmarks of a William and Mary education. We encourage completion of the full IB diploma and will give special consideration for admission to students who have done so. We also award credit based on IB higher-level examinations. http://internationalcounselor.org/College%20program/ib_and_college_admissions.htm

Dr. Eugene Carson of Virginia Tech states: . . . IB students who attended that university [Virginia Tech] as freshmen significantly outperformed all other freshmen, including students who had taken Advanced Placement courses. http://internationalcounselor.org/College%20program/ib_and_college_admissions.htm

The admissions director of Harvard states: GPA is not nearly as important a factor in university admission as the IB Diploma. If a student has to choose, choose the Diploma over protecting the GPA. http://internationalcounselor.org/College%20program/ib_and_college_admissions.htm

University of Michigan: Unquestionably, a school that graduates each year a number of students with International Baccalaureate diplomas has demonstrated its commitment to high educational standards and that commitment will serve to influence admissions decisions. The University of Florida surveyed students studying Chemistry, Mathematics and English in 1997. Of the 58.3% of students that scored a "B" or higher in Chemistry, 91.7% of the students were IB students. In other subjects it was found that the results of IB students were consistently higher than the results of other students.

“I don’t think there is anyone who does not respect the I.B.,” said Panetha Ott, an admissions officer at Brown. Fewer colleges give credit for the I.B. than for A.P., but dozens give students with an I.B. diploma sophomore standing and some offer special scholarships. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/03/education/03baccalaureate.html

College Name Overall Acceptance Rate IB Diploma Rate

Boston College 32% 56%

Clemson University 52% 93%

Cornell University 29% 48%

Davidson College 34% 64%

Emory University 42% 78%

Florida State University 70% 95%

Georgia Tech 59% 81%

Howard University 56% 93%

Indiana University 54% 100%

Oberlin College 33% 83%

Purdue University 76% 97%

Spelman College 44% 89%

Texas A&M 68% 93%

Tulane University 56% 91%

UGA 65% 94%

UNC Chapel Hill 35% 64%

Wake Forest University 41% 70%

Acceptance rates for some popular colleges

Acceptance rates for the 20 most popular institutions among survey respondents www.i-graduate.org.2011

http://www.ibo.org/country/US/index.cfm

The average acceptance rate of IB students into university/college is 22 percentage points higher than the average acceptance rate of the total population.

The acceptance rate of IB students into Ivy League institutions (Princeton, Yale, Brown, Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania) is between 3 and 13 percentage points higher compared to the total population acceptance rate.

www.i-graduate.org.2011

Research Confirms IB Students are Prepared

for University

A study by the Education Policy Improvement

Center (EPIC) confirmed that IB students have

the knowledge and skills for success during their

first year of university study.

EPIC aligned the Knowledge and Skills for

University Success, a set of standards endorsed

by 28 leading research universities, with the standards of the IB Diploma Programme.

Educational Policy Improvement Center, Eugene, Oregon, USA EPIC identified four main components for university preparedness.

• Key content knowledge refers to the need for students to

master writing skills, algebraic concepts, key foundational content and “big ideas” from core subjects in order to meet university expectations.

• Academic behaviors consist largely of study skills and self-monitoring. Examples include time management, awareness of one’s current level of mastery and the selection of learning strategies.

• Contextual skills and awareness, or “campus knowledge”, refers to the understanding of university admissions processes, university culture, tuition and financial aid and university level academic expectations.

• Key cognitive strategies describe the ways of thinking that are necessary for university-level work.

EPIC findings: The IB Diploma Programme is exceptionally strong in the areas of • key cognitive strategies • problem solving • critical thinking • analysis • research • writing skills The IB curriculum meets or exceeds the standards for key content knowledge.

EPIC findings: IB students develop the ability to • interpret • analyze • think critically • present arguments • question • reflect • research • write • present what they have learned • go beyond what is required IB students learn academic behaviors and contextual skills that allow them to adapt well to university courses and campus life. The IB Diploma Programme encourages the development of the attitudes and habits of mind that encourage emotional maturity, responsibility and interpersonal skills.

Getting the I.B. Diploma

The Internal Assessment and Written Exam in each subject result in a score scaled from 1 to 7.

Six subjects times 7 possible points results in a total possible exam score of 42 points.

The Extended Essay and TOK scores combined may earn from 1 to 3 bonus points.

Together, 42 points plus 3 points equal a grand total of 45 points that could be earned.

Twenty-Four (24) points are required to earn the International Baccalaureate Diploma!

Additional requirements:

Extended Essay, maximum of 4000 words, independent work

Theory of Knowledge paper and presentation, require independent thought

Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS), 150 hours, completed independently

College Credit

Up to 24 credit hours in Georgia for the diploma

Other states offer more credit hours and scholarships

Oglethorpe University offers sophomore status for 30 points on the diploma. They also award a full scholarship.

Credit can be earned for individual courses even if the diploma is not achieved

Getting the I.B. Diploma

IB assesses what the students know and rewards students with points rather than subtracting points. It is the best example of results-driven education that judges success based on what the students actually know and do.

Grading scale is skewed lower than US grading scale

7’s are rare and are for the truly gifted student who is deeply committed to the discipline. 6’s are not that common. 5’s are what most of our “good” students get and the middling students get 3’s and 4’s.

Students only need to get 50% to 60% of the material correct to get a 3 or 4 on an exam.

Strong standards applied consistently around the world for more than 40 years The number of students in the Diploma Programme has increased from 2,800 students in 1980 to nearly 120,000 now. Over the same period, pass rates have remained consistent at around 80%, and the average score on the IB diploma has been 30 points. Less than 1% of students receiving the IB diploma obtain a score of 45 points. Grade distributions on the IB assessments vary by subject. Students who complete standard level or higher level subjects are well prepared for success in that subject in university. Only 7% receive the top grade of a 7, and more than 50% of all grades fall between 4 and 5. © International Baccalaureate Organization 2010

Biological and biomedical sciences is the most likely intended major chosen by IB graduates followed by engineering and business studies –while in the top 10 of most popular college majors business studies is number one, followed by psychology and nursing. Biological and biomedical sciences is number four and engineering is not in the top 10 list. http://www.collegecrunch.org/best-of/top-10-most-popular-college-majors/

© IGI Services 2011